


Chapter 1 of the 'Deathwatch' Series, "After All We've Tried" Teaser

by thewalkingdreads



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: After, Anger, Angst, COOORL, Gen, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Post-Prison, TWD episode 409, and Lori (sort of), blame, carl probs, post-governor, season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-24 23:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2600501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewalkingdreads/pseuds/thewalkingdreads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick, Carl & Judith escape the prison alive—and together. However, Rick is horribly injured, and Judith's food supply is alarmingly low. Seeing that his father can't handle the mental and physical strain, Carl decides to take matters into his own hands. Told from the perspective of Carl Grimes himself.<br/>NOTE: This is only the first 4 pages of the chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chapter 1 of the 'Deathwatch' Series, "After All We've Tried" Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this is only the beginning of the chapter. The full version will be uploaded once I finally finish editing it. But in the meantime, this is what I've got. I figured I should upload at least some of it since I haven't updated this series in months.  
> Anyways, if you haven't yet read the "Introduction," (http://archiveofourown.org/works/1871037/chapters/4029108) I suggest doing so, as this fanfic will follow the events that take place in it. But in general, it takes place right after the fall of the prison. So yeah, enjoy!  
> UPDATE 1/4/15: I finally have the full version of this chapter up (yay!) and it's under the "Deathwatch" series. If you want to read it in full then copy/paste this link here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1871037/chapters/6725909

_‘Hey, I'm like you now. We've both been shot. Isn't that weird?’_

_‘I think your mother would rather hear we got the same eyes. So let's keep that between you and me.’_

_‘She should've seen it—the deer. It was so pretty.’_

_‘Yeah. It was.’_

_‘Did you see the way it looked at me? I think it would've let me pet it, if it hadn't—...you know...’_

_‘How's your side feeling?’_

_‘It doesn't hurt anymore.’_

_‘Doesn't hurt? Those painkillers can't be that strong.’_

_‘But you are. You’ve always been strong. You probably didn't feel anything when you got shot. So I won't either. I'll be strong, just like you always are.’_

          God, how could I have been so stupid? Of course Dad had felt pain, he was freaking _shot._

          I walk down the road, wondering how I was even reminded of this pointless memory in the first place. I haven't had a conversation with Dad like that since...well, since we had that particular one. Not like it matters, anyways. I shake my head and let out an inflamed sigh, as if it would help me forget. But no matter what I think, or how hard I try...

          It just keeps coming back.

_‘Since you're in the club now, you get t'wear the hat. Didn't y'know?’_

          I roll my eyes. Yeah, this stupid, piece-a-shit hat I'm still wearing today. I stare vacantly up at its torn edge, then tilt it further over my forehead. What I want to do is throw the damn thing on the ground.

_‘Won't you miss it?’_

_‘Maybe you'll let me borrow it from time to time.’_

_‘We'll share it.’_

          Psh. He can have it back for all I care. It doesn't mean anything to me. _He_ doesn't mean anything to me. Yeah he made it out of the prison, but he's dead to me now. From what I had to see, and what he put me through...I could never—

_‘I love you, Dad.’_

_‘I love you too, Carl.’_

          ...I could never forgive him for that.

 .   .   .

 

          Adamant clouds shrouded the road, and hung over like massive weights crushing down onto my tired shoulders. The sun’s warmth had been drowned more and more, its light rays only halfway visible now. By the looks of it, the light couldn't last much longer. Few hours at the most. I’d already been walking for god knows how long, but I still hadn't found any old neighborhoods or houses or sheds or anything at all. Just more flattened cement. But there had to be _some_ place I could crash at before dark—faster I went, the more likely that was to happen. So I hurried along the bending road, unwilling to stop or slow down for anything.

         Wind howled and groaned in my ear like the susurrant echoes of a long-perished corpse. The chilled breeze snuck beneath the collar of my shirt and down my sweaty back—I gladly shivered. _'Bout damn time Georgia got some cool air._ I watched the treetops as they wavered about and tore a jagged line through the sodden sky. The red and yellow mixture of leaves jumbled in their branches; my eyes followed an orange leaf as it spiraled downward and fell onto the cracked road to lie dead and crumpled amongst all the others. The road dipped ahead, almost like a large bowl, and turned a sharp left corner to God Knows Where. Leaves shuffled and crunched beneath my shoes as I followed its cold, grey path. Yet behind me I heard nothing. No footsteps, no torn breath, no voice helplessly calling out for me. _Good. Maybe I finally lost him—_

          I crossed some train tracks that bisected the road, then strode faster as I my feet hit the hard cement again. Judith wailed incessantly in my arms, making them a hell of a lot more sore than they needed to be. She tucked her little head into my shirt to hide from the crisp sting of the wind. While I found the cool air refreshing, she found it merciless and cold. The world was unfair to her like that, taking every chance it could to bring her discomfort and pain. And she'd been crying the whole way because of it. Her thick tears seeped through the fabric of my shirt, and onto my damp chest.

          "I know, Judy," I said, wiping a glass tear from her pink face, "I'll find us a place soon. I promise." I almost wished to lie down and cry with Judith, after all the shit we'd been through. After all _he'd_ put us through. But I had to be strong for her, because as much as my feet throbbed, as much as the raw blisters on my heels burned, I had to keep going. I had to keep that promise. Not for him, not for myself, but for her. Clenching a dirty hand into a fist, I looked up at the sky again, praying it wouldn't get too dark too soon—

          "Carl..."

          ...I kept walking, not even bothering to look back. Just like he said—

          "Carl, _stop!_ "

          I stopped.

          And as painful as it was, I waited. I counted Dad's steps as they grew ever-so-slowly closer. _One, two...three, four...five, six—can't you at least try moving faster?_   When he finally reached me, he placed a shaky, clammy hand over my shoulder. For a moment I stood still, hoping he’d drop whatever he wanted to say and let me go. But the resignation never came, so I glared up at his sorry face.

          _The hell do you want?_

          He could hardly breathe, much less speak. He made a pathetic attempt anyways, "We...we need to stay together..."

          _Yeah right._

          I tried turning away, but he only grasped my shoulder harder. My neck constricted tightly as his hand sent an uncomfortable tensity throughout the rest of my body. He might not've wanted me another foot away from him, but I sure as hell didn't want him an inch closer.

          "Hey," he managed through exhausted lips. I swiveled back again and met his eyes with an impatient stare. _Well get on with it already._  "W-we're going to be—..." he started, but was unable to finish.

          "Going to be what," I questioned, "fine? _Okay??_ That's bullshit—"

          "Carl!"

          "—and you know it!" If Judith wasn't in my arms, I would've shoved him away.

          "Be quiet!" He snapped. He lowered his voice to a demanding whisper, "Judith's already loud enough."

      _Well, whose fault is that, Dad? Who's the reason we're even out here? Who should've been left behind with everyone else—_

          I jerked my shoulder out from his grasp and proceeded forward. Dad took a moment to breathe, then continued to follow me again. "We need t'feed her," he urged. "I'll get'er food out the bag."

          "We'll have another herd on us if we stop moving."

          "Jus' hand her to me, Carl."

          "You'll probably drop her."

          "She isn't goin' t'stop cryin' unless we—"

          "You can hardly hold yourself up!" I resisted from turning back and shutting him right up. Under my breath I muttered, "Chances are you'll trip and smother her."

          Dad was too exhausted to drag the argument out further. _Good._ He moved slower. Much slower. Figured if any nearby walkers came, they'd only bother with him—he looked so damn _easy_ kill. I kept a rushed pace and soon enough, his footsteps and choked breath were faint once again.

          It just wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. The prison was the safest, most secure place we had. Everything was starting to look perfect: supplies were abundant, food wasn't a worry. There was room to run around, and toys for Judith to play with. Everybody was safe—well, as safe as we could've been. Everyone was together, and happy. Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Michonne, Beth...Hershel. We were all happy...

         But of course, just when everything started coming together, just when our hopes got up, it all had to be taken away. The Governor was there to kill us all, and my dad didn't do shit. Hell, he _invited_ the Governor to come live with us. He _wanted_ him under the same roof. He thought something so crazy would've actually worked. _Well guess what, Dad? It didn't. And now everyone's scattered and alone. And for all we know, they're already dead. We might as well be dead. All because you just had to be so damn stupid—_

          "Carl!" Dad yelled from far behind, snapping me out of it. _What does he want now??_  I glanced back—

          He had company.

          "Run!" He yelled. A cluster of walkers crowded around him—so of course I ran, but not away. I ran towards him, heart thumping as he disappeared behind their scrambling limbs.

          I shifted Judith into one arm and reached for my gun. Before I could even draw it from the holster, Dad's voice rose out and over the corpses, "Don't shoot!" Judith's wailing drew two roamers our way. I froze, and tightened the grip on my gun. "Don't shoot," he demanded, "jus' stay back!"

          The walkers swiped hungrily at his flesh. One—no, two—close calls. If he'd been just another inch to the left... I waited for something to happen—waited for _it_ to happen. Something urged me to help, but as he so smartly wished I just watched—halfway hoping he'd make it out alright, the other half of me, well, expecting him not to.

          And that was okay.

          Dad sorely sunk his knife into their heads, and elbowed back at the ones sneaking over his shoulder. One by one, the bodies started to fall. He took the quickest breaks between attacks, desperate to catch his weary breath. Staggering sideways, he struggled to stay afoot as he took the last one out. I exhaled loosely and shuddered he stumbled over the rotten corpses. A small twinge fluttered in my chest; his limp might’ve worsened, but he still made it out. He always does.

          Doubled over, Dad held a trembling, bandaged hand over his ribs, as if it kept him from falling apart. "If...if that happens again, Carl," he began, hardly even upright, "just run..."

  _Whatever you say._

          I turned around and continued down the road. Dad called out again, wanting me to slow down. I only walked faster.

          _‘Carl,’_ that voice in my head spoke. Mom's voice. _‘I know this doesn't feel right to you. Please, go back and help your daddy.’_

          "He doesn't want my help," I replied, pulling my hat down again.

          _‘Whether he wants it or not, he still needs you.’_

           "Yeah? Well I don't need him."

           Not like I'd ever done him any good anyways.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you're interested in reading more, I can't promise that the rest of the chapter will be up soon, but it will be uploaded eventually, as well as the rest of the series. Eventually. It's taking a lot of work, and I work on it as often as I can, but even then...oh man. Hopefully it'll be up by the end of this month..? We'll see.  
> Anyways, thanks again for reading!
> 
> UPDATE 12/6/14: Chapter 1 shouldn't be much longer now! Just finished finalizing about 2/3 of it, so keep checking back :)
> 
> UPDATE 12/26/14: Just finished finalizing pages 22-25. Just 3 more to go!! I'm so excited to finally post this!!!
> 
> UPDATE 12/30/14: Wow, I can't believe it's taken me the rest of the year to finish the first chapter. The FIRST CHAPTER. Ugh.  
> But on the bright side, I'm editing the final sequence of events right now. It'll probably be up within a few days, after I do a final brush through. I'm so excited :)


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